Hot — or not

Where is that sweltering July summer North Idaho so craves?

As the calendar approaches the middle of July, many North Idahoans are noticing it’s just not feeling as summer-ish as many would expect by now.

“I’m used to it being a lot warmer, and the water being a lot warmer this time of year,” said Melissa McDeid of Post Falls.

McDeid was accompanied by a few friends and family members who soaked in the moderately warm rays at Q'emiln Park in Post Falls on Monday, when the mercury didn’t quite touch the 80-degree mark, but the day was a sunshiny and warm reprieve from a fairly cool and gloomy spring/summer so far.

“She blames me for bringing the cold weather,” said McDeid’s good friend from out of town Angela Sodmann, who sat in the sun at a picnic table.

“As soon as I arrived it started to rain,” Sodmann said, explaining she was supposed to go to western Washington to visit family but instead came to visit friends in Post Falls.

“I think I brought over the Seattle rain,” she said.

According to the forecast, North Idaho is supposed to have a few sunny and warm days ahead, hitting 80 degrees today, 83 degrees Wednesday and 82 degrees Thursday.

“It’s nice to be able to sunbathe and get a little bit of a tan going,” McDeid said.

Clouds are expected to roll in during the weekend, with Sunday expected to get to 81 degrees.

The lows are still in the 50s, however, so the lake and river waters are still a bit chilly.

“We took this thing out in the water and we tapped out at 15 minutes because it was so cold,” McDeid said, gesturing to a gently filled air mattress on the adjacent grass.

“Usually, in July, we’re able to swim and stay in the water for a while without being cold,” she said. “The water hits you and you’re like, brrr!

“It’s a weird year,” she said. “2020 is just weird.”